The Cover Up
by F.E.Emerson
Summary: A terrible ordeal has left Lulu in turmoil. She has kept things a secret from the one she loves. What happens when the truth finally comes out?
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own General Hospital or any of its characters.  


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Lulu muttered under her breath as she walked along the pier. Kate was at it again. She needed her, NOW! _Ughh, why can't I have just one night off, _she thought to herself as she walked in the heavy darkness that made her nearly blind. Just then, she bumped into a dark shadowy figure which seemed to come out of nowhere. "Sorry, I guess I wasn't watching where…" She had no more than gotten the words out when the figure grabbed her arm, pulling her into him. She could feel something cold and hard pushing into her side, a gun. She tried hard to maintain her composure, even though the fear was gripping her mind, causing her to not be able to think.

"Just go quietly and no harm will come to anyone you love," said the man. Lulu knew that voice, but from where?

"Okay. Please don't hurt me," she replied, tears now streaming down her face. Without another word, the man pushed her into an abandoned warehouse. She tried to fight, but knowing that he still had the gun made it more difficult. As he kept pushing her back away from the door, he knocked her down. _This is it_, she thought. _I'm going to die right here._ She struggled some more, but the man was just way too strong. He started ripping at her clothes. "No! Please, no! Help me, somebody help me!" she screamed with everything she had. There was no one there. He was so rough with her that she thought she might pass out. Her thoughts flashed. She went back to her childhood. She saw her mom, dad, and Lucky. She thought how she might not ever see them again. She went through her high school years, graduation, getting her first job. Maxie, her best girl friend, and _him. _The one constant person through all of that time had been a brown-haired, brown-eyed, wonderful boy. He was the best friend a girl could ever have. They thought that they could be more, at one time, but it never really came to anything. He was still the same wonderful man he had always been.

When it was over, he left just as quickly as he had come. She laid there for a long time after he left, afraid to move, afraid that he might come back. Two hours had passed and she decided that it was time to take a chance and leave. Meanwhile, Sonny and Olivia were walking along the pier after a nice evening out. "I need to go and check on the warehouse on Elm Street," Sonny told her. "Let's go," she replied.

When they arrived, they noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Sonny told Olivia to stay there while he checked it out. He walked cautiously into the warehouse. He could hear shuffling in the darkness. Trying to discern whether it was human or animal, he found a flashlight hanging next to the door. If it was human, he didn't want to startle them by abruptly turning on the lights. It was a good thing because as he flashed it in her direction, he caught a glimpse of the girl that he had loved as a daughter. "Lulu? What are you doing here?" Because it was still dark, he couldn't see the condition she was in. She wasn't sure, at first if it was really him. He started toward her and she met with a swing that punched the air, but was still close enough he could feel the wind.

"Whoa, wait a minute. It's me, Sonny. Let me find the light switch," he said.

"No. Wait. I don't want you to…" she pleaded.

Sonny flipped on the lights, just as Lulu tried to hide herself from him. He had seen some brutal things, but what he was about to see was probably the most frightening thing. He was in complete shock at how she looked. Her hair was disheveled, partly still in the hair clip she had so meticulously placed in earlier that day. Her face, so innocent looking and yet so hardened now by what had just happened, was covered in streams of mascara. Her beautiful blue dress was torn at the shoulder. She was shaking from head to toe. Sonny reached out for her and held her so gently, like a loving father. Olivia, hearing the screams, walked in to see them standing together. A look of utter shock and dismay on her face. "Oh my," was all she could muster. She drew in a breath, gesturing to both of them, and said, "we need to get you to the hospital."

Lulu protested furiously, at first, but realized that she was right. Lulu, with Sonny and Olivia flanked on each side of her made their way out of the building. She was terrified that her attacker would show up again, but knew that she was now safe. Relief washed over her knowing that she had made it out alive and would get to see her family once again.


	2. Chapter 2

_No! No! She was screaming for her life. Someone was chasing her. She couldn't see them. It was so dark. She was afraid to look back. She didn't want to know who it was. She only knew that she didn't want them to catch her._

Tossing and turning, yelling at the top of her lungs, "No! No! Please help!", she was living it over again. Olivia, who had been sitting at her bedside ever since they admitted her, reached across to take her hand. It broke Olivia's heart. The girl that she had come to love as a daughter was in so much agony. She got to know her when Laura left after her breakdown. Luke was never around much, so Sonny agreed to take care of Lulu, as well as Lucky. He and Olivia took them in and loved them like they were their own. Dante, their son, had already been a childhood friend. It was an easy fit for all of them. "Shh, honey, it's me, Olivia," she said, with such tenderness in her voice.

"Olivia? Where am I?" she asked, already knowing the answer. She just hoped it had all been a bad dream and she was really in her bed at home.

"You're at General Hospital. You were pretty banged up, so they decided to keep you. Honey, are you ready to talk about what happened?"

Tears were already streaming down Lulu's face. "No," she let out with uncontrollable sobs.

"It's okay. You don't have to say a word. You will when you're ready. You rest right now." She squeezed Lulu's hand and held it until she relaxed again.

Sonny was standing in the doorway. The ex-mobster in him wanted to kill the person who had done this. The anger rising in him with every tear that fell from Lulu's face. However, Lulu's brother and Sonny's son were both cops. He knew that he needed to let the police handle this one. Over time and with his son's help, he had come to trust in the justice system and he knew that they would see to it that justice was served. He also knew that Olivia and Lulu would never want him to get revenge. His anger turned to worry when he thought about how he was going to tell his best friend and Lulu's father, Luke. An even more sickening feeling grew when he thought about Laura. What was he going to say? How could he tell them that their precious daughter had been so brutally attacked. What about Lucky and Dante? What were they going to do? Lucky was Lulu's brother. He loved her dearly. Dante had become like a brother to both Lucky and Lulu. They were close, very close. This would hurt them, but hopefully not rip them to pieces.

Olivia looked over her shoulder at Sonny still standing in the doorway. She got up and walked out with him. They were standing right outside the door. "I've got to call Luke and Laura and let them know what happened. I don't even know where Luke is right now," Sonny let out, with a sigh. "Lucky is going to be furious about this. He's the one I'm most worried about. How do I even begin to tell him?"

"You let me worry about that," said Olivia. "You concentrate on trying to find out where Luke is. I'll handle Laura and Lucky. The other question is what to tell Dante. He'll want to kill the guy, if he ever finds him."

"Do you blame him? I want to do the same thing myself," Sonny said. Just then, they heard Lulu yelling in fear again. "No, please don't tell him!" They went running into her room. Her heart monitor was jumping up higher and higher. Had they known that she was awake still, they would have talked elsewhere.

"Don't tell who, honey?" asked Olivia.

Lulu looked up at both of them with embarrassment and torment in her eyes. "Dante," she muttered quietly.

"Lulu, it's okay. You know that he loves you like a sister. He doesn't want anything bad to happen to you. He would want to see whoever did this to be brought to justice and would make sure that it happened," said Olivia in a soft voice.


	3. Chapter 3

"I, I," Lulu let out a sigh and blurted, "I'm ashamed at what happened. I don't want him to look at me with pity all of the time." The tears flowed from her eyes and gave way to sobs. When she had calmed a bit, she added, "Dante is gone on an assignment anyway. He won't be back for a week. My bruises should be healed by then. He never has to know. Okay? Please?" She was begging them now.

"Lulu, I just don't know. You know how I kept Sonny from Dante and how that turned out." Olivia replied. Dante was 14 years old when he found out who his father was. He was none too pleased, even at a somewhat young age, to know that his father was one of the biggest criminals on the Eastern Seaboard. He was just as displeased to know that his mother had kept it from him all that time.

Sonny walked over to Lulu and took her hand in his. "We won't tell Dante, but don't keep it from him for too long, okay? Is it all right if I call Lucky?" She nodded. Just as he was getting out his cell phone, Lucky came racing into Lulu's room. He had been in the squad room at the PCPD and overheard something about an attack at one of Sonny's warehouses. Out of concern, he asked the officer who had been attacked. "Oh Lucky!" she said as he wrapped his arms around her. The tears were flowing once again. When they subsided, he asked her what had happened, who did this. She explained in some detail what had happened, leaving out the worst parts. "I'm not sure who it was, but I know I have heard his voice before, one other time."

"I'm so sorry that you had to go through that, that I wasn't there to help you," said Lucky, the anger building inside of him. "We'll find this guy. Dante & I will work on it day and night."

"No! Not Dante!" said Lulu with that same old fear rising in her again. "Why not?" asked Lucky, quite perplexed. She just couldn't tell him or anyone the real reason. She couldn't tell them that before all of this began, she had started to have feelings for Dante again. For now, though, all of that was on hold. She didn't know if she could feel that way about any man again, even Dante. The biggest thing, though, was the embarrassment of the whole situation. She was just too mortified for him to know. She wished that no one knew. She wanted to crawl up in a ball and hide from the world.

"Lulu, you rest now. Listen, if you don't want me to tell Dante, that's fine. I do suggest that you do it and soon. He will be really hurt if we keep this a secret from him very long," Lucky said gently. "I love you, sis. I'll come by tomorrow."

* * *

A week later, Dante returned home. Lulu was happy that she would get to see him, but also apprehensive. _Just keep a cool head and don't give anything away, _she thought to herself. Her physical wounds had healed up, but her emotional ones were far from it. Still, she resolved that she would not reveal anything about what went on while he was away, or so she hoped.

Dante, always the prankster, decided that he was going to surprise her with his homecoming. Sneaking into her apartment, he saw her standing at the window. _Good, she doesn't see me, _he thought. He walked, very gingerly up behind her. "Boo!" He gave her one of those playful tickles she used to laugh at. Lulu, with the look of a hurt animal, turned around and started attacking him full force. "Get away from me!" she shouted. Dante, perplexed, said, "Lulu! It's me! I wanted to surprise you when I got back. I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you. What's got you on edge?"

"I'm sorry. It's nothing. I've just been a little anxious lately. You know, Kate's keeping me so busy and Maxie is there about half the time. All the stress from it has finally gotten to me. Then, last night I watched some horror movie that I shouldn't have." She wasn't exactly lying. Things had been crazy at work and Maxie wasn't there to take up the slack. Kate was so demanding. She _was _about to have a nervous breakdown over all of it. She had to choke back her emotions, but not before a single tear fell down her face. She quickly wiped it away, but not before he saw it.

"Hey, what else is going on? Why the tears? Surely work isn't that bad. Do you want me to talk to dear cousin Connie?" he asked with sarcasm in his voice.

"No, it's fine. I'm fine. I'm just a little…" She shook it off. "So, how was your assignment? Did you find what you went after?"

"Oh, it was fine. Yeah, we nailed the guy. He'll be going to trial soon." With that, Dante finished telling her all about his adventure, every dangerous detail. She cringed at how scary his job could be. He loved it, of course. Lulu never liked the thought of him and her brother being in so much danger all the time. She knew it went with the territory and she prayed for them all of the time. She had never been very religious until soon after her brother and Dante graduated from the academy. Olivia had always gone regularly to Mass and Lulu started to join her from then on. Dante was always impressed with how Lulu had embraced his faith.


	4. Chapter 4

Lulu loved going to church every week. It gave her a peace that she just couldn't describe. She had seen it in Olivia and Dante and wanted it for herself. Now, though, she was tormented once again. Of course, God could make things right, but she was still human. She had human feelings and right now, they were taking its toll. After he had finished with his stories, Dante wanted to know what she had been doing over the last week. "Oh, you know, the usual. Kate has this new spread coming out in the next few months. Maxie has been in Paris trying to find the latest fashions for it. So, that has kept me hopping. I really haven't had much time for anything else." She seemed off to him, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Lulu had never been so detached and quiet before. Always before, getting her to be quiet was like trying to stop a train, a trait that both intrigued and irked him a bit.

After a moment of somewhat awkward silence, Dante decided he should go. As he was leaving, Lulu gave him the customary hug. Only this time, she couldn't hardly let go. She was like a hurt child hanging on to her mother. She felt so safe there in his arms. Her eyes were welling up again, threatening to reveal that something was not right. She willed the tears to stay put until after he left. Once she knew that it was safe, the floodgates opened.

The next day, Dante asked Lucky if everything was all right with Lulu. "I went over to her apartment yesterday and she was acting a bit strangely. Is something going on that I don't know about?"

"How exactly was she acting?" Lucky was beyond concerned. Things had _seemed _a little better with her. However, with all of the experience that he had dealing with rape victims, he knew that a week was definitely not enough time to get past it. He had suggested therapy a few days ago. Lulu just shut down. She wasn't about to relive that nightmare all over again by talking it out with some stranger.

"Well, she was so quiet. You know that is not like her at all."

Lucky grinned a little. "No that is definitely not our Lulu."

"Yeah and I caught her crying once too. She tried to wipe the tear away before I could see, which seemed odd. She has never cared if I saw her crying before."

"Did she tell you what she was upset about?"

"Just that it was some work thing and she was pretty stressed out about it. I've never seen her get this worked up about her job, though."

"Well, that is probably all it is. I mean, Maxie _is _gone right now and Kate, well, you know all about that one." Lucky hated lying to one of his best friends. Secrets were not his forte, especially when they involved those he loved. "Dante…" Lucky was now debating with himself. He wanted to tell Dante what was really going on, but he kept picturing the fear and sadness in his sister's eyes. She would be devastated if she knew that he had betrayed her trust. Almost speaking in code, he finished with "I think you should talk with _her_. If there is something else going on, she'll let you know. Just keep being there for her."

"Okay. If you say so," Dante said, with a puzzled look. He wasn't buying it. _Something _was going on and he thought that Lucky knew about it. He had resolved for the moment to just let it go and take his advice. If Lulu really needed him, she would ask. In the meantime, there was some lasagna with his name on it at Sonny and Olivia's house.

"Hey ma, I'm starving."

"Don't I even get so much as a 'hello' first?" she asked, gently squeezing his face in one hand.

"I'm sorry. I guess the level of emptiness in my stomach is directly proportional to my rudeness," he replied, with a mischievous look on his face.

"Get in here!" was the comeback.

When dinner was over, he decided to ask Sonny and Olivia if they had observed anything odd with Lulu. The cop in Dante just couldn't rest. He saw a situation that just didn't look right and he had to check it out. Questioning "witnesses" was like breathing. Suddenly getting very nervous, Olivia asked him why. She bit her lip to keep the nerves from completely taking hold.

"I don't really know. It just seems like something isn't quite right with her. I was hoping that you guys had some insight," he said, taking note that Olivia was a bit uncomfortable. Even Sonny, who was always so cool and collected, seemed like he had something to hide.

"Well, you know, she did say something to me about work and Kate," said Olivia.

_Was this the standard response from everybody?_ _It is almost like they all got together to get their stories straight, _thought Dante. "Well, that is what Lucky said too."

"What about Lulu? What did she say?" asked Sonny.

"She said the same thing everyone else is saying, that work is crazy and she is stressed," Dante replied.

"Well, there you go. If there was more, I'm sure that Lulu would let you know."

Dante was beyond frustrated. He knew Lulu as well as anybody. A little thing like work had never brought her to the point of tears before. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more and everyone knew about it, but him. What he didn't understand was why.


	5. Chapter 5

Lulu was on her way up to Crimson when she heard a voice call her name. It was Olivia. "Hold the elevator." Once inside, Olivia told her how Dante had been asking them questions about her. "Sweetheart, I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but I just think that it is time you told him the truth. It'll be better coming from you. Think about how devastated he would be knowing it secondhand. Not to mention that I don't like keeping secrets from my son. Please, just think about it."

"Okay. I will," she said reluctantly. She knew that Olivia was right. She had to tell him. She had some time to think about things and she didn't want to ruin the friendship that they had by keeping secrets any longer. She would have to work up the nerve somehow.

Later in the day, she finally called him. "Dante, I was wondering if you could stop by this evening? I'd just like to spend some time together. I also need to talk to you about something. Seven o'clock okay?"

"Sounds great. I'll be there." _Finally,_ he thought, _maybe she is going to let me in on what has been bothering her lately._

When she arrived home, there was a note sitting at her doorstep. _Hmm, wonder who this could be from, _she thought. _It better not be Dante standing me up. _She opened it as she walked in the door. In shock, the white piece of paper slipped from her hands. It simply said, "I know that you talked to the police. Now, you'll pay."

Dante arrived 10 minutes later. The door was standing wide open. Cautiously, he entered with his service pistol drawn. "Lulu? Where are you?" he asked quietly. From the corner of his eye, he caught a figure by the fireplace. "Lulu?" he asked again. He found her curled in a ball, rocking back and forth, staring off into space. Finally deciding that she was the only one there, he put his gun away and walked toward her. He knelt down beside her and took hold of her shoulders. It was as if she was hit by lightning. In one quick move, she reached over and started pounding on him, fists clenched, screaming at him to get away from her. She felt trapped. He was grabbing her arms, trying to get her to stop. She grabbed his shirt balling it up in her hands, buried her head in his chest, and sobbed uncontrollably. "What is it, Lulu? I want you to tell me now!" he said with urgency in his voice. Without looking up, she replied "Oh, Da-Dante. I'm so s-sorry. I sh-should have tuh-told you. I'm so, so s-sorry."

"Tell me what? Why are you sorry?" He was becoming more apprehensive by the minute. "Lulu, you are scaring me."

"I d-don't kn-know where to st-start. I'm, I'm afraid of wh-what you'll-think-of-me." Her words were becoming more difficult to understand with every convulsive sigh.

"Why don't you just take a deep breath and start at the beginning. I can take it, I promise." His voice was so calming, so reassuring.

After she had settled a bit, she continued. "Remember the day you came to visit me and I was acting so on edge?" Tears were pooling again in her amber eyes.

"Yeah, I thought it was strange. It wasn't like you at all."

"I lied to you when I said that it was work." She looked down, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

Dante looked a little hurt, yet oddly relieved at the same time. "Okay," he said slowly, a bit uneasy about what might be coming next.

"Dante, I was raped!", she let it out quickly, the tears flowing once again.

He felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Never did he imagine something so horrible would happen to anyone he loved. Guilt washed over him. _Why didn't I see the signs? I should have been able to __tell. What kind of a cop doesn't see this?_ Dante's guilt was being replaced with anger, anger at the attacker and himself. "Who did this?" Clenching his jaw, he asked her again, "Lulu, WHO DID THIS?"

"Dante, you're hurting me." He loosened his grip. In his shock, he hadn't realized how hard he had been holding onto her arms. "I don't know, Dante, I DON'T KNOW!" Gaining some composure, she continued, "There's more. When I came home this evening, there was a note at my door. It said that I would pay for going to the police. What am I going to do? I'm so scared." Her crying resumed, even harder this time. Dante pulled her into him. "Shhh. You're going to be all right. I'm staying with you tonight. I'll make sure that you are never alone again."


	6. Chapter 6

He sat on the couch, her head in his lap, in complete and deafening silence. Dante's thoughts were racing. _If only I were here, I could've stopped it. When I catch him, I'll kill him. No, death's too good. He can rot in jail for the rest of his life. Why didn't she tell me sooner?_ That was the hardest thing for him to comprehend. On some level, he knew, but this was Lulu. She could always tell him everything.

He was looking down at her. She was peacefully sleeping. He shifted his weight to get up. Waking her, she held him down. "No. Please don't leave me," she whispered.

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered back. He stroked her beautiful blond waves until she fell back to sleep.

The next morning, she woke up and found herself in her bed, the same clothes on. A bit startled, she looked over at Dante, in a large chair on the other side of her room._ "_How did I get here?" she wondered out loud.

"Once I knew you were asleep, I carried you in. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. What time is it?"

"Five thirty."

"Wow, that's pretty early. Well, since we're up, how about breakfast?" She walked to the kitchen, with Dante following behind her.

"Listen, I'm calling dad and mom to see if you can stay there for awhile. You can't stay here. It's not safe. Dad's guards will be there all of the time to watch out for you." Even though Sonny ran legitimate businesses, he still had some enemies. He had kept Max and Milo on staff because they had always been so fiercely loyal to him. Dante knew they would watch her like a couple of hawks.

Awhile later, she emerged from her room with some suitcases in hand. She knew not to argue with Dante. Besides, she liked Greystone Manor and looked forward to a little nostalgia, a welcome distraction. He helped her out the door and to the car.

Part of the way into the ride, he took hold of her hand, tenderly rubbing the top of it with his thumb. "Are you ready to talk about it? "

She took a long, slow breath and looked out the window. "I think so. Um, I was walking along the pier, cursing Kate. She had just called me in. It was late and very dark. I couldn't see very well and I accidentally bumped into someone, _him_." She starts flashing back to him grabbing her wrist, putting the gun to her side and shoving her into the warehouse. Her breathing is becoming more labored. Dante gently squeezes her hand, which gives her the strength to continue. "He shoved a gun into my side and forced me inside Sonny's warehouse. He pushed me down, so hard that I almost hit my head on the floor." She flashes back again, tears starting to flow quietly down her cheeks. "He tore my dress and, I was struggling, kicking, and screaming. He was hurting me. I was so scared. I screamed some more. I wanted so much for someone to hear me, to help me. I tried to get him off, but he was just too strong." She buries her head in her hands and weeps softly. "I can't…" Dante reaches over and caresses her on the arm, wishing he could take all of her hurt away. Listening to her account made his anger rise up all over again. "Dante, what if?" She didn't know how to even ask the question out loud. "What if I'm pregnant?"

"We'll cross that bridge if we need to. Let's just take it one day at a time," he replied softly. That thought hadn't even entered his mind yet. _Does she have to have insult added to injury by having that monster's child?_ He knew he shouldn't think that way. It's not the child's fault, but thinking of that made him physically sick at the moment.

Eager to change the subject, he asked, "Have you talked to your mom?"

"Yeah, actually, she came to stay with me in the hospital."

"Oh. Sorry, I shouldn't have…"

"It's okay," Lulu interrupted. "I love my mom and I love talking about _her. _She was so helpful. I wish she could have stayed longer, but Scott has been so sick and she needed to take care of him also. She promised to come back soon, maybe even in a couple of weeks_."_

"Good. I know you miss her."

"I do," she said, with a little smile. "Dante, there is something I left out. Last night, I know that I said I didn't know who it was and I'm still not sure I do. However, I think I've heard his voice before. It was very distinct, with a heavy accent, British or Australian, maybe."


	7. Chapter 7

"Really? Did you give that in your statement?" Dante was going into cop mode now, with this new bit of information.

"Um, I'm not sure. Everything happened so fast that I don't remember what I said and who I said it to. I think I might have told Lucky."

"Okay, that's good. Don't worry. We're going to figure this out." Still holding onto her hand, they made their way into the driveway of Sonny and Olivia's house.

Once inside, Olivia came rushing over to her. "Honey, I'm so glad that you're coming here to stay. It'll be just like old times."

"I don't want to impose. I hope Dante didn't push you into doing this," she said, giving him a glance.

"Nonsense, you know that you are welcome here anytime," replied Sonny, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

Walking over to the couch, Lulu and Olivia continued the conversation.

Once out of earshot, Sonny asked Dante if he had the note he was telling him about on the phone. "I'm really not supposed to do this, but do you see anything you recognize? The handwriting, the wording, anything?"

"Well, I have to say that it doesn't look like the trademark of any of my enemies, past or present. I can dig around and see what I can find."

"There is one more thing. She said that she thought she recognized the voice, British or Australian. Any ideas?"

"No, not really. Well, maybe... but he is supposed to be dead. Died in an explosion or something."

"Who do you have in mind? I'll run some checks to see what I can find out." Sonny wrote down the name and handed it to Dante. "Don't let anybody know what you are doing. I like the fact that you're not in the mob anymore and I want to keep it that way. Besides, it would devastate Lulu if anything happened to you," Dante told him.

"Agreed. Don't worry, I'll be careful."

"Okay. Well, I'm going to get this to the lab." Going back over to Lulu and his ma, he gave them both a hug and promised to return soon. Lulu protested a bit, holding on as long as possible.

"Lu, I'll be back. You'll be fine." Sensing that she wasn't just worried about herself, he added, "so will I."

A few hours later, Lulu had completely settled into her old room. "It's just like I never left," she commented to Olivia. "I love it here, I always have. Thanks for letting me stay."

"Oh, sweetheart, you're welcome. I'm going to go down and start supper. You rest."

"I'd love to help. I could use the distraction."

"All right. Come on, then," she gestured. Little did they know that down the street, someone was keeping tabs on everyone coming and going.


	8. Chapter 8

"Yeah. I've been watching the place all day. She came in with Sonny and Olivia's son, you know, the cop. Of course I played it cool. Nobody suspected a thing. Right. I just volunteered and nobody questioned it. I'll let you know if anything new happens." With that, the surveyor snapped his cell phone shut.

Inside Sonny and Olivia's, the women were putting the finishing touches on supper. Olivia turned to Lulu and asked, "Would you call Dante and see how much longer he's gonna be? Risotto has a very small window, you know. While you're at it, ask him if Lucky wants to come over too. It'll be just like old times. All my kids here under the same roof again."

At the PCPD, Dante and Lucky had just gone through Interpol and FBI records trying to find something on the guy who Sonny told him about. "I don't know Dante, this guy is untraceable. It's like he never existed. Once he left last year, he disappeared off the map. I think Sonny's right anyway. I had heard that he died too."

"Okay, but what if that is what he wants people to believe? We need to figure out why someone would go to such great lengths to make themselves disappear, only to resurface a year later and hurt an innocent young woman the way that he did."

"You sound like you think he's the guy," replied Lucky.

"I know it. He's our guy."

Another officer brings in a report and hands it to Lucky. "The lab results are back on the note. Whoever left it must have been wearing gloves. There were no fingerprints other than Lulu's and yours. The ink is just a regular permanent marker. However, the paper has a watermark not visible to the naked eye. The watermark is of the manufacturer's name. They're located in Australia."

"Well, that narrows it down. Lulu said the voice was either British or Australian. Now, we're finally getting somewhere." Just then, Dante's cell phone rings. "Falconeri. Hey! Yeah, we're just about done here." He throws a quick glance at Lucky. "Yeah, he's still here. Okay, I'll tell him. Bye." Turning back to Lucky, he says "that was none other than your sister. She said that dinner is about ready and we had better get there before ma kicks our butts. Actually, I heard ma say that in the background. You ready?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

On their way out, Mac lets them know that he has assigned an unmarked car to watch over the Corinthos' residence. "I know that Sonny has guards, but I think we need a little more surveillance in place, just in case." They both thanked him and headed out the door.

* * *

After dinner and a few friendly games of pool, the 5 of them sit down to talk about the good old days. "Do you remember the time that Dante and I snuck out of the house to go to Jakes? We were underage, of course, and Coleman let us…" Olivia shot them both a look that could kill. "Oh, right, you never knew about that one. Oops. Sorry."

"Thanks, man. Thanks a lot. Now I'm going to get my head smacked every time I come over for the next 3 months," joked Dante.

Lulu was watching everyone laughing and even laughing herself from time to time, but there was still one thing eating at her a little. No one had really noticed when she slipped away and went over to stand by the window, just gazing out, as if she were searching for something lost. Lucky made his way over to her and slipped one arm across her shoulders, pulling her in toward him a bit. "Everything all right?"

She looked around and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just feel bad that I kept the truth from Dante and made you all my accomplices."

"Dante and I talked about that today. He was upset, at first, but he's okay now. He knows that you didn't do it deliberately to hurt him. Just keep talking to him. He's worried about you and so am I. Have you thought anymore about therapy?"

"I have. I'm thinking about seeing Dr. Winters. I don't know. We'll see."

"Okay. You know that I love you, right?"

"Yes, Lucky, I do," she said as she rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance.

"Hey, guys, how about a little poker?", yelled Dante, from across the room.

As Lulu and Lucky made their way back over to the couch, Sonny and Olivia got up to go to bed.

"It is getting way too late for us 'old' people," said Olivia as they were half way up the stairs. "You 'kids' don't stay up too late."

"Thanks for dinner," replied Lucky.

"Come back anytime, that's an order," she replied.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, saluting with two fingers.

The trio sat in the living room playing poker, laughing and telling jokes until way into the night. Sometime later, they all fell asleep in the living room like they used to do when they were kids. Lulu and Lucky were on opposing ends of one of the huge couches and Dante was on the other. Lucky woke to Lulu kicking at him. She nearly knocked him off, wrestling around. "Lu," he whispered, trying not to wake Dante. Nothing. He could tell that she was stuck inside of a nightmare. Trying not to startle her too much, he carefully got up, walked over and shook her on the shoulder. "Lu," he whispered again, a little louder. By now, Dante was awake, still in a bit of a daze. He shot a puzzled look at Lucky. "She's having a nightmare and I can't bring her out of it." Dante knelt down beside her. He tried, this time. "Lulu." Again, nothing. A few seconds later, she sat straight up, clutching her chest and breathing hard. "I think she's having a panic attack," Dante said, never taking his eyes off of her. Lucky rushed into the kitchen to get her some water. "Lulu, you're going to be okay. Just take some deep breaths. Shh. You're all right." He was stroking her cheek, trying to soothe her.

"Where am I? What happened?" she asked, looking confused about her surroundings.

Lucky returned with the water. "Lulu, remember? You're at Greystone. It's okay. Here, take a drink." He handed it to her and brushed her sweat laden hair out of her face. "You were having a nightmare. Do you want to tell us about it?"

"No. I really just want to forget it," she said, with tears in her eyes.

"That's okay. You don't have to. Just rest," said Dante, rubbing her shoulder.

They both sat quietly there with her until she finally fell back to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**I had a problem with the previous chapter, formatting issue. It's resolved now. Thanks, dyallon! Hope you guys enjoy this next chapter. I appreciate the kind reviews.

* * *

**

The next day, after they were alone, Dante asked her about her nightmares. "You had a pretty bad dream last night. Do you want to tell me about it?"

"It's nothing really."

"Nothing? Lulu, you were so panicked that I thought you might pass out. Please, just talk to me." He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes.

"Okay. It's always the same dream. Someone is chasing me. I don't know who. I don't want to know. Sometimes it continues with them catching me and well, you know." She lowered her gaze. Tears formed right on the brink of her eyelids. One spilled over and onto her cheek. He wiped it away.

"Lucky told me that this happens almost every night. Is that true?"

"Um, yeah." Her tears fell a little faster. He put his arm around her, while her head rested on his shoulder.

"You know that you can talk to me anytime, right? There's no need for you to go through this alone." She started to protest. He held his hand up to silence her. "I know you're strong, but that only takes you so far. Please, just come to me, okay?"

She looked up at him and nodded. "I will."

"So, do you have any plans for today?" Dante asked.

"Well, I don't guess so, but I should probably-" she replied.

"Good. Meet me back down here in an hour."

"Aren't you going to tell me what we're doing?"

"You'll see."

"Okay?" She gave him a questioning look.

As she got up, she lost her balance. Dante caught her. They both gazed into each others' eyes. Fear and excitement seized them both. Lulu was the first to break away. She blushed a little and ran up the stairs, head down, so that he couldn't see.

"Falconeri, you idiot!" he said to himself. "Why would you scare the girl like that?" Deep down, though, he didn't feel all that guilty. A part of him wished that the moment hadn't ended.

Awhile later, Lulu came down the stairs. "Dante? I'm ready!"

He walked out of the kitchen, with a large basket. "Let's go, then." Along the way, he found himself unable to take his eyes off of her. Her long, blond hair was pulled up in a ponytail, a few strands framed her delicate face. She wore a bright red shirt that set off her tanned complexion.

"So, you still haven't told me. Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."


	10. Chapter 10

"That was so much fun. Thanks for taking me out on the lake, Dante."

"Anytime, although, I'm never letting you drive the boat again, speed demon!"

"What? Did you just call me a speed demon?"

"You were kicking up all kinds of waves. You nearly got us in trouble in that no wake zone. I ought to issue you a citation."

"Oh really, Officer?" Dante couldn't help but smile at the "awful" nickname that she sometimes gave him. He put her in a playful headlock and rubbed the top of her head. She maneuvered her way out and held one of his arms behind his back. They laughed and almost fell to the ground. Just then, Lulu's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" She looked at the phone, perplexed.

"Who was that?"

"I don't know. There wasn't anyone there. Oh well, it was probably Maxie. She'll call back." She shrugged it off.

"Are you ready to eat?" asked Dante.

"I'm starved." Dante opened the basket. Inside, Lulu found all of the junk food she loved to eat. "Oh my gosh! You remembered all of this?"

"Of course. How could I forget? I witnessed you devour this stuff over and over for how many years?"

A sheepish grin escaped her lips. "Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?" She threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you for such a great day. It was just what I needed."

* * *

As they walked back through the woods, her phone rang again. Before she could say anything, a garbled voice said, "Red is a beautiful color, don't you think? It suits you well. Tell your 'boyfriend' that I said hello. You know, he really shouldn't worry about how fast you drive."

The line went dead. Lulu's face lost all color. She didn't move. Fear gripped her chest to the point that she could no longer breathe.

"Who was that?" The smile faded from Dante's face as soon as he saw her reaction. "Lulu? What's going on? Hey. Look at me." He took her head in his hands and shifted her gaze toward him.

"That was. I-I don't. He said…" She closed her eyes, took a slow breath and started again. "I think that was him."

"Him? You mean?"

"Yeah. I think so. His voice was altered, though."

"What did he say?" Dante was still calm, but his fury was building.

"He's here. He's been watching us. He knew what I was wearing. He also said that he didn't think I had gone too fast on the lake. How could he know all that?"

Dante looked all around, while his thoughts raced. Why hadn't he brought his gun? He knew the guy hadn't been caught yet. Why did he think that he could take her out somewhere, knowing how much danger she still might be in?

"Come on, we have to get out of here. NOW."


	11. Chapter 11

Dante bolted through the door as he pulled Lulu behind him. "Dad? Dad? Sonny! Ma? Somebody? Hey!" He started up the stairs.

"What the-?" Sonny met him halfway down.

"Where's ma?"

"She's still at the Metro Court helping Carly finalize some-"

"Good. Call her and tell her to stay there."

"What? Why?"

"I'll explain later. Please, just call her and tell her to stay put until somebody can get her." Sonny dialed the phone. Dante turned his attention to Lulu. She was ashen and silent. "Lulu? Listen, you're safe now. I promised you would be. Come Hell or high water, I _will_ keep you that way."

"No, no, no. Just stay there. I don't know what's going on, but I'm gonna find out. Just wait for Max to come and get you." Sonny hung up the phone and turned to the two of them. "What happened? Is she all right?"

Dante never took his eyes off of her. "He called her."

"What?"

"He watched us the whole day. He knew what she wore and everything we did."

Lulu felt the walls close in on her. Time stood still. Flashbacks flooded her mind. She fought them, but they were too strong. Then, everything went black.

"Oh no, no, no. Lulu, stay with me."

* * *

"Lulu? I think she's waking up." Dante sat by her side and nudged her. "Hey. You scared us. Are you okay?"

"Um, I think so. What happened?" She was still a little dazed.

"You passed out. Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. I guess I was just worn out."

"Lulu. You were in shock. I could read it on your face." He pulled her up and into his arms. "Please, don't be stubborn. Not now."

A deep sigh escaped her. "Okay. I panicked. The phone call just made it all come back again." Tears welled in her eyes and he held her a little tighter.

Sonny sat down in front of them and took her hand. "This guy's gonna screw up and get caught. I think he has already."

"I know he has," said Dante.

* * *

"You know what to do, right? If he calls again, you push this and…" While Mac explained the details of the tracing device to Lulu, Dante and Lucky poured over maps of Sonny's property. "We were here when he called. He described everything we did, even the color of her shirt. Lucky, I want this creep and when I catch him, he's dead."

"Whoa. Listen, we all want to nab this guy. I'd like to go a round with him myself. For her sake, though, you've got to pull it together. It won't do anyone any good if you're in jail."

Dante cooled a bit. "Lucky, how can I look at her and not want him to suffer the same way that he's made her suffer? I know you're right, but it still enrages me. You should have seen her. She was terrified."

"That's why we have to take him down, and soon. So, you said that you were here? Did you see anything at all?"

"I looked all around us. I didn't see or hear anyone. He must have been close enough to see us, but in a place where he could make a quick escape."

"Let's see, that could be near the boathouse."

"Right. He could have been watching from the road also. That's where I'd lay my money."

"Okay. I'll go along with that. Hey, Mac, we think maybe he was in a car by the side of the road."

"I'll get forensics to look for fresh tire tracks. Look, considering the circumstances, I shouldn't be letting you guys handle this. However, I know you won't mess it up and that's why I'm turning the other way. Just remember, anything you find comes to me first, okay?"

"Okay," they both said.

Sonny walked over to them. "Lucky, have you made any progress in finding Luke? I still can't track him down."

"I followed a lead in South America. Before he left, he said something about a con down there. It's a time like this that I especially hate his love for travel."

"You know that if he knew, he would be right by her side," Sonny replied.

"You're right, he would. Would you mind trying again? I've got a few other contacts yet to make myself."

"Of course, I will. I know some people in South America. I'm sure that they will help out."

Dante shot a look of disapproval at Sonny.

"They're legitimate. Don't worry."

Just then, Olivia rushed through the door and hugged her son and Lucky. "Oh my gosh. Max filled me in on the way home. This guy's got some nerve." She looked over at Lulu. "Is she okay?"

"I'm not sure. I think so. She's better than she was earlier. She passed out on us," said Dante.

"What? She passed out? The poor girl." She paused for a second. "You don't suppose she could be…"

Dante read her mind. It was the one thing he tried _not_ to think about. He dropped his head and rubbed his temples. "Oh, man, I don't know, ma. We talked about that, but I told her not to worry about it. I really believe that the reason she passed out was just stress, but she needs to find out for sure."

"I'll take care of it. You concentrate on the investigation."

"Ma, I promised her that I would take care of her and I intend to do it._" _

"Dante, honey, you can't do it all. Let me help. Besides, this is a woman thing."

Olivia sat down beside Lulu. "Sweetheart, are you okay? Do you need anything?"

Lulu looked at her with sadness in her eyes. "Olivia, I heard you talking to Dante."

"Oh no. You weren't supposed to-"

"It's okay. It's nothing I don't think about everyday."

"You need to take a pregnancy test. Have you done that already?"

"I'm too afraid. Dr. Lee told me to follow up with her, but I haven't had the nerve. Would you go with me?"

"Honey, of course I will."


	12. Chapter 12

He was nervous, very nervous. He sat at his desk, tapping his pencil. Then, he wrote some more. Back and forth. Tapping and writing. Not able to take anymore, Lucky looked up from his paperwork. "Would you go already? You're not doing any good here."

"Aren't you even a little curious about what is happening?" asked Dante.

"Of course I am. My insides are knotted up so tight that I feel sick. I have been working on this same page for the last half hour."

"How do you stay so calm?"

"I don't know. I guess I process things a little differently. It doesn't mean I don't care. Besides, I'm not the one falling in love with my sister."

"Wh-What? Who said anything about that? What would make you think that I'm-," he cut himself off.

Lucky smirked. "I think someone doth protest too much. Go, already. You're not gonna rest until you do and neither will I. Call me as soon as you find something out."

She was nervous, very nervous. She sat in Dr. Lee's office. Her eyes moved from the ceiling, to the clock, to the diploma hung behind the desk, and then rested on Dr. Lee. Olivia, seated beside her, held her hand.

"I have your results. All of the VD tests came back negative." Lulu gave a sigh of relief, but braced herself for the rest. "Your pregnancy test was negative also." Lulu let out an even bigger sigh and hugged Olivia.

She turned back to Dr. Lee. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. There has been enough time go by to know for sure. I also did a blood test, which is the most accurate. There is no chance at all that you are pregnant."

"Oh thank you, thank God."

"There are a few things that I need to discuss with you, just some follow up questions."

Olivia got up. "Honey, I'm so happy for you. I'm just gonna go out to the lobby while you finish up." She walked out to find Dante pacing back and forth. She couldn't help but smile a little. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I couldn't stand it. I know you told me to go to work, but I can't concentrate there. So, do you know anything yet?"

Olivia saw Lulu walk down the hall. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Dante turned around to see the sheer joy spread across her face. No words had to be said. She ran into his arms and he lifted her up.

"Oh, I almost forgot, I'm supposed to call Lucky. He's been a nervous wreck all day." Olivia raised her eyebrows and shook her head.

"Let me do it. I want to tell him myself," said Lulu.

As Lulu finished her conversation with Lucky, Olivia turned to Dante. "I think this calls for a night out at Jake's. What do you think?"

"Sounds great to me," said Dante.

Lulu hung up the phone and walked back to them. "Do you feel like going out tonight?" asked Dante.

"Sure, where are we going?"

"Jake's?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Okay. Ma, can you take her back to the house? I need to finish some things up at the station. I'll bring Lucky with me."


	13. Chapter 13

When Dante walked into Jake's, his attention immediately drew toward Lulu. The way she looked took his breath away. The lights illuminated her golden hair, like a halo. She wore a royal blue dress that flowed effortlessly down to her sun kissed knees.

"Hey, beautiful," he said to her.

"Beautiful? Wow, you're nicknames are getting better. Or, should I say, your pick up lines?"

Dante's face turned red. He hadn't really meant for that to slip out, but he also couldn't help himself. "Well, I, uh, you know, I have to practice on somebody, right?" _Nice save, stupid._

Lulu laughed. "I guess you're right."

"Um, you want to go sit down?" He pointed over to Olivia, Sonny, and Lucky. She shook her head in approval.

It was karaoke night. They watched in mock horror as Max screeched out "Baby, I Need Your Lovin" to Diane. Dante looked over at Lulu, who was now doubled over with laughter. It had been a long time since he had seen her laugh like that. He was pleased to witness it and hoped that things were finally headed on the right track.

Several bad karaoke songs later, the real music started to play and everybody got up to dance. Dante looked back at Lulu, still sitting there. "Hey, aren't you coming? Don't tell me you no longer like to dance." He took her hand to pull her up on the floor.

"I don't know. I'm just not sure-" Before she knew it, she was out there dancing. She didn't know why, but she could never refuse Dante Falconeri. They danced through several fast songs and then a slow song started to play. Instinctively, he drew her into him. She hesitated. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so presumptuous," he said as he loosened his grip.

"It's okay." She wrapped her arms around his neck. They swayed together in time with the music and she laid her head on his shoulder. She couldn't remember when she had felt so secure. Not even when he stayed with her that first night or when he held her after she fainted. No, this was different than all of those times. _What am I doing? He's a friend, _she thought to herself. Somewhere halfway through the second slow song, she no longer cared. She leaned in even closer into him. He responded by running his hands up her back and resting his chin on the top of her head, taking in the scent of her floral perfume. They were locked together in an embrace that neither wanted to break away from. In that moment, no one or nothing else in the entire world mattered.

Back at the table, Sonny, Max, and Lucky planned out how they would find Luke. "Max, you and I will head down to South America tomorrow morning. I have already contacted some of my friends there. They have agreed to help us out."

"Look, if you're going to do something illegal, I don't want to know about it," said Lucky.

Sonny's dimples deepened with his mischievous grin. "Lucky, you know me better than that. Anyway, this family said that they have heard about Luke being in the area. They can get us into places we might not be able to get into on our own."

When they finished the discussion, Sonny got up to get another drink. He accidentally bumped into someone behind him. "Oh, sorry, I didn't see you standing there."

"No worries, I didn't realize I was so close to your table."

_Where have I heard that voice before?_, Sonny thought to himself. "Do I know you?"

"No, I don't think so." With that, the man walked away.

The music ended. Dante and Lulu headed back to their table and sat down. A familiar man with dark hair approached them. "Hey, how's it going?"

"Hey, man, what are you doing here? I figured you'd be out on some stakeout or something."

"Well, I got the night off."

"Oh wait, you're one of the officers who watches Sonny's house, right? I think I met you the other night," said Lulu.

"Yeah, I am. I hope it didn't upset you for me to come over here."

"No, it's fine. Thanks for watching out for me."

"Sure, no problem. Well, I'm on my way out. I just wanted to come over and say 'hello'. See you Monday, Detective."

"You too, Franco."

"Uh, Dante, it's getting late. Would you mind if we left too?" asked Lulu. "Oh, I'm sorry. If you want to stay, I'll call Milo to come and get me."

"It's okay. I'm ready. You know, you really don't need to apologize. Besides, how often does a guy get to take the most gorgeous woman in the world home?"

Lulu's eyes widened. Everybody at the table just stared in amusement at the two of them. Dante noticed all eyes were on him. "What? I can't compliment my best friend?"

"No, no, no, it's fine," said Diane, with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"I don't have a problem with it," said Lucky, in a mocking tone. He looked at Sonny, "do you have a problem with it?"

"No problem here," replied Sonny, smirking back.

The pair said their goodbyes to everybody. As they walked away, Dante put his arm around Lulu . Diane elbowed Olivia and pointed to them. "I wouldn't rush right back to the house, if I were you," she said to Sonny and Olivia. Olivia watched until they walked out the door. "Yeah, I think you're probably right." She looked over at Sonny. "So, my dear, are we staying here for awhile or going somewhere else?"

Lulu and Dante sat on the couch and talked for awhile. "I'm hungry. Do you want something?" she asked. He shook his head in agreement. "Oh, wait, let me guess, vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce?"

"You know it, but you stay right there. I'll go get it."

Lulu walked over to the mirror behind Sonny's desk and smoothed her hair. She blushed a little and an uncontrollable grin spread across her face. _Lesley Lu Spencer, get it together. He is your best friend. Besides, are you really ready to start a relationship with a man right now? No, I don't think this is a good idea. _

They ate in silence and processed what had happened earlier on the dance floor at Jake's. Both of them wondered if the other wanted to start something or even if they should.

Dante was the first to break the uneasiness. "So, are you done or do you want some more?"

"No thanks, I'm finished."

"Here, I'll take the bowls-" they said in unison. They laughed at each other. The atmosphere suddenly felt awkward again.

"Well, I um, I guess that I should probably go. I know you're tired." Dante nervously rubbed the top of her hand.

"Yeah. I didn't sleep very well last night. So..." She looked away, a little frightened by the feelings that seemed to be coursing through her.

"So, okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

As they both rose from the couch, their gaze locked again just like it did the day before. He took a few steps toward her and put his hand on her waist with every intention of only giving a chaste kiss. His lips met her forehead. He pulled away to gauge a reaction. He leaned in again, this time on the cheek. He took another glance at what her face told him. Seeing no signs of distress, he leaned in one last time. As their lips brushed together, a jolt of electricity shot through them both. The kiss grew more passionate. She felt something against her back, too entranced to realize that they had moved toward the wall.

As the kiss became even deeper and more passionate, a memory flashed in her mind. The scene of being pushed into the warehouse raced through her head. Another kiss was followed by a flash of being pushed to the floor and her clothes ripped so angrily from her body. Yet another kiss was accompanied by another flashback until everything came back in a flood. She wrestled against him, fighting for her freedom from his hold.

He quickly pulled away. "Lulu! Lulu! It's me. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She wept uncontrollably as he eased her into a loving embrace. "Shh. It's okay. I shouldn't have done that. I never want to hurt you, ever. Please forgive me." She was too upset to speak. "Come on, let's sit down." He never loosened his hold as he brought her back over to the sofa. She cried quietly in his arms until she fell asleep. Sometime later, he fell asleep with her still in his arms.


	14. Chapter 14

Dante paced back and forth in his former bedroom the next morning. Thoughts of what he would say to Lulu raced through his head. _What was I thinking? How could I have been so insensitive? What am I going to say to her? _He finally summoned enough courage and went downstairs, only to find that she wasn't there yet. A mixture of disappointment and relief washed over him all at the same time. He found Olivia sitting on the couch drinking her coffee.

"Ma, um, is Lulu still in her room?"

"I guess so, why?"

"Good, I really need some advice." By now, Sonny had walked in the room and took a seat next to Olivia.

Dante paced mindlessly. "Okay. Honey, sit down. You're going to wear a hole in my rug. What's got you so worked up?" she asked.

He finally sat down in the chair next to them. "Well, I, uh." He took a deep breath. "I kissed Lulu last night." Sonny and Olivia looked at each other with a smile that stated what they already knew. "Yeah, well, it didn't go so well. She started having flashbacks. I think they were the worst she's ever had. She was so upset that she couldn't even talk. Oh man, what have I done?" He put his head in his hands. Tears formed on the edge of his lower lids. "I can't stand the thought of hurting her in any way. I should have known that it was way too soon to do something like that." The tears that pooled in his eyes now spilled over.

"Dante, don't torture yourself like this." Seeing that it made no impact, she continued. "Okay, when she let you know that she wanted you to stop, did you?" asked Olivia.

"Well, yes, of course I did. What difference does that make? I shouldn't have done it in the first place."

"Honey, it makes all the difference in the world. It's a sign of respect, something that she knows you have for her."

"Dante, I think what your mother is getting at is that Lulu trusts you completely. She knew that you would never harm her and if she asked you to stop, you would. She wants her life to get back to normal. Maybe she really wanted to reciprocate her feelings toward you also," said Sonny.

"Son, we raised a man who respects women. That's what you did. We've seen how you are with her these last few days. I've never seen you so protective of anyone, ever. Besides, when we walked in last night, she looked pretty peaceful there with you on the couch. Do you really think that she would have been if you had caused her so much pain?" asked Olivia.

"No, I don't." Lulu had listened in on the last part of the conversation. As she descended the stairs, tears welled in her eyes. She sat on the coffee table in front of Dante and took one of his hands. "Please don't do this to yourself. I don't blame you for anything that happened. I _wanted_ to kiss you. I thought that I would be okay because it was you. I guess it triggered the memories, though. That's not _your_ fault. If you want to place blame, it's on the guy who raped me." She placed her hand on his cheek and wiped away one of the tears that slipped down. He turned to kiss her palm and then took her hand in both of his.

"I know, but I'm still so very sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I trust you. I know that you won't ever hurt me. Come on, let me see those infamous 'Corinthos' dimples." Dante looked deep into her eyes, his lips curled up to give away the hidden indentations in his cheeks.

"Now that that's settled, can somebody tell me how you guys got upstairs?" asked Sonny.

Dante looked sheepishly at him. "Oh, I, uh carried her up the stairs. I woke up in the middle of the night with the worst pain in my neck. That couch just doesn't cut it."

"And, I'm sure that carrying my dead weight helped that a lot too. Why didn't you wake me up?" She hit him on the shoulder.

"I knew that you had to be worn out and you looked so peaceful. I just couldn't bring myself to disturb you. Besides, why would I risk incurring the wrath of Lulu Spencer?" he asked, with a wink and a smirk.

After breakfast, Sonny pulled Dante aside to talk. "Son, I need you to do me a favor. Max and I are going to South America to find Luke. Milo will still be here, but I would feel a lot better if you would stay here too, since there will be one less guard."

"Sure, no problem. Do you have any idea where exactly Luke might be?"

"Some of my contacts down there say they have seen him near Caracas, but that was a couple of weeks ago. He could be anywhere by now. You know how fast he can move around."

"Sounds like the proverbial needle in the haystack."

"Yeah, tell me about it. It's not going to be easy, but I've got to try. Thanks, son, for doing this. For watching out for your mom and Lulu while I'm away."

"I promised them and myself a long time ago that I would always protect them both. That's what I plan to do."

Dante turned to Olivia and Lulu. "I need to go take care of something. Will you guys be okay for a little while? By the way, it looks like I'm staying here for the next few days while Dad goes to South America."

"Oh really. 'Cause I thought you had already taken up residence here again," said Olivia.

"Ha! That's a good one, ma. Seriously, I'm moving back into my old room, instead of sleeping on the couch this time. So, will you guys be okay without me?"

"We're over the age of 18. I think we can manage. Right Lulu?"

Lulu laughed and nodded. "It's under control, Officer."

"You are _so _funny," he retorted, as he walked out the door.

A half an hour later, Olivia's phone rang. "What? No, Marty. I told them a harp, not a carp. Oh, all right. I'll be there in a minute." She snapped the phone shut, in a bit of a snit. "Lulu, it seems that this party Carly is hosting is gonna be in the swimming pool instead of the restaurant unless I go and straighten things out. Will you be okay by yourself? Just say the word and I'll stay here."

"It's okay. You go. I'll be fine. Milo is here. He'll watch out for me."

"I'll be back as soon as I can. If you need anything, call me or Dante."

"Okay. Don't worry. Go." Lulu was glad to have the place to herself. Being under constant surveillance was getting old. She relished the time alone. She decided to get some work done on the laptop that Spinelli had set up for her. Even though Kate agreed to let her have some much needed time off, she still wanted to have something to do to occupy her time. She finished up the last of her work orders and decided to take a break in the pool. After her swim, she laid out on the patio to dry off. The phone rang. "Hello."

"Alone at last. I'm so glad we have some time to talk."

"Who is this?"

"Why Lulu, you don't know? I should be insulted, but you just look too beautiful out there swimming around. You know, I didn't like the way you were dancing with your so-called boyfriend last night. Being a cop is such dangerous work. I really would hate for anything to happen to him."

"Who is this? Why won't you leave me alone?" she demanded.

"You really don't remember me, do you? I'll give you a hint. We met about a year ago in a hotel lobby." She didn't respond, trying desperately to remember. "Oh, come on now, don't tell me you don't remember 'Fun Juan'?" Lulu froze. Suddenly, all of the memories she thought she had forgotten about that horrible night came back to haunt her.


	15. Chapter 15

Metro Court Hotel lobby - a year earlier

"Hey, Sam, have you seen Logan? I was supposed to meet him here," asked Lulu.

"No, he hasn't arrived yet. If I see him, I'll let him know you are looking for him."

"Okay. Thanks." Lulu walked over to one of the oversized couches and took a seat. The lobby seemed busy that night, full of Port Charles citizens.

Sonny and Olivia walked in a few minutes later. They were on their way up to the restaurant for dinner.

"Hey Lulu, what are you doing here?" asked Olivia.

"I'm waiting for Logan. You haven't seen him, have you?"

"No sweetheart, I haven't. Do you want to come up with us and wait on him?"

"No thanks. I'll just wait here."

"Okay, but if you change your mind, you know where we are."

"Thanks."

Olivia and Sonny had just made it to the elevator when, out of nowhere, several men dressed in black barged into the lobby. Each of them wore masks to conceal their identities. They shot their guns into the once calm air.

"Hello everyone. We have a little business to attend to here. As long as everyone stays put and doesn't cause any trouble, we will be out in five minutes." Chaos ensued while everyone tried to comprehend what seemed like a bad dream.

"Quiet! I'll only tell you this once. If any of you try any heroics, someone will die. Is everyone clear?" The room fell silent as everybody looked around, in fear for each others' lives. Sure, the residents of PC didn't always get along, but they also didn't want to witness one of them die at the hands of a madman.

Lulu managed to sneak away to the corner of the room. Her isolation made her vulnerable to an attack. Olivia tried to wave her over to her side, but was caught. The ringleader looked at Lulu and motioned to her. "You, please come over here by me," he said, in a thick accent. He trained his gun on her. She held her head down and shook nervously as she made her way over to him. Everyone watched in horror as he ran the barrel up and down her cheek, past her neck to her shoulders. "You know, you are quite beautiful. Such lovely blond hair. Blonds are my favorite, you know." Lulu stiffened and raised her head up in a display of defiance. "Feisty, huh? Well, you might come in handy at some point." Her eyes darted back and forth between Sonny, Olivia, and Carly. Sonny gave her a sign that she should go along and not do anything rash. She knew there was no way that Sonny would ever let the creep take her, so she complied.

Sonny stepped in to divert his attention away from Lulu. "Who are you and what do you want with us?" he asked.

"If you must know, we are here to take something that rightfully belongs to us. In the vault is a suitcase with 20 million dollars. We'll go in, take the suitcase and be on our way. If anyone decides to change our plans, we _will_ shoot you. Is everyone clear?" He surveyed the room for any signs of rebellion. There were only looks of shock and confusion instead. "Good. See, this isn't so hard, now is it? Oh, and by the way, the name is James Craig, but you can call me 'Fun Juan'."

After he retrieved the combination from Carly, the gang headed for the vault. "I need an insurance policy that everyone won't try to call the cops or bolt as soon as we leave. Two of my cohorts here will keep an eye on you." He turned to them and said, "If anyone tries to run, shoot them." He walked over to Lulu. She looked away. "My other insurance policy is you, my beautiful blond." She still looked away. "Look at me. You're coming with me."

"No. I'm not," she replied. She pointed a finger in his face and shoved him back.

"Oh, I think you will." Everyone gasped as he grasped her wrist and swung her around. He forced her back against him and spoke into her ear. "Don't ever do that again. There will be serious consequences if you do. Now, come with me."

Some time later, a SWAT team had assembled outside the entrance. Dante and Lucky, huddled over blueprints of the hotel, worked on a plan to get everyone out.

"We need to know how many are being held hostage. I want a list of everybody inside that building," ordered Mac to one of the officers.

"Sir, I'm not sure where we'll even start. There is no special event going on. How are we going to find out who is in there?" the officer asked.

"We'll have to figure it out. Start with the hotel staff on duty tonight, then go through any corporate meetings, birthday parties. I even want to know who was planning a date tonight. If we have to go through the stinkin' Port Charles phone book and call everyone, we will. Now, go!"

"So, if we go in here, we could shut off the electricity at the main breaker. We would be close enough to the lobby that they couldn't make an escape with a hostage," said Dante.

"Right. If we place men outside all of the exits and parking garage elevators, we could insure no one gets away," replied Lucky.

A half an hour later, the officer returned with a partial list of those inside. Mac's eyes widened. He looked over at the two unsuspecting detectives who were still deep in their conversation. They had no idea that Lulu was on that list, along with Sonny and Olivia. "How did you find out that they were in there?" He pointed to the three names. "Logan Hayes said that he was supposed to meet Lulu, but was running a little late. Mike Corbin confirmed the other two."

Once the group retrieved the suitcase, they made their way back to the lobby. "Well, everyone, it's been fun. Now, we must go."

"Whoever is in there, come out peacefully. If you don't hurt any of the hostages, we'll negotiate your release," said Mac, through a loudspeaker.

"Ah, so predictable, alerting the cops. Okay, which one of you did it?" asked Craig. Everyone looked around at each other, not saying a word. He still had a hold of Lulu. He held his gun to the side of her head. "Which one of you called the cops?" he asked again, with an angry shout.

Sonny intervened, trying to diffuse the tense situation. "Listen, I have lots of money and a jet that I can have ready at a moment's notice. Just say the word and I'll take you anywhere you want to go. There is one thing you have to do, though. Let her go."

"While I am very tempted, Mr. Corinthos, I really don't need anymore money. As for the getaway, there's been a change of plans. I'm not quite ready to leave this little game after all. Besides, how do I know you wouldn't double cross me?"

The gunman made his way out the front entrance. Dante and Lucky watched as he held the gun on Lulu. "Well, Commissioner Scorpio, you are correct about one thing. We will be released. She's my insurance policy."

"You psychotic-" yelled Dante. Lucky struggled with him to hold him back.

"If you go after him, he'll kill her for sure. Keep your cool," Lucky said in almost a whisper.

"Let her go and we'll talk," said Mac.

"I don't think so. You see, I have grown quite fond of Ms. Spencer here. She has proven quite valuable to me. She's very beautiful, don't you think? It would be a shame to have to kill her. Just stay where you are and don't try anything."

"Who are you?" asked Lucky.

"The name is Mr. James Craig."

"James Craig. Run it," said Mac to one of the officers.

"Yes, Commissioner. You go ahead and run that name. See what you come up with. When you find out, you let me know. Goodbye, for now."


	16. Chapter 16

Lulu sat on the couch remembering all of the awful details of that night. Before he escaped, James Craig had promised to return someday to finish what he started. For several months afterward, she slept with a light on and a gun under the mattress. Lucky and Dante would take turns staying with her every night until she felt safe enough to be alone. Just when things had finally returned to normal, the psychopath comes back into her life. She wanted, no needed, to be numb and rid her mind of the memories. Maybe it would all just go away.

Some time later, Dante returned. "Lulu, isn't dark in here?" No response. "Lulu? Are you awake?" Again, no response. He walked over to the nearest lamp and turned it on. She sat there with a glass in her hand. She gazed into the glass and swirled around the few drops that were left. He noticed an empty bottle of brandy sitting on the coffee table in front of her. "Lulu? What's going on?" he asked. His eyes went back to the bottle, still curious about its presence there.

"Dante? What are you doing here? What time is it?" She rubbed her eyes. He could tell that she was somewhat drunk.

"It's 6:30. Is everything okay? You seem a little out of sorts."

She looked at him, confused. "Yeah, fine. Why do you say that?"

"Well, when I left, that bottle was half full. I know because Dad offered some to me just before I left today."

"So, do you work for the ATF now? Do you feel the need to monitor my drinking habits?" she asked, a bit angry.

He decided to drop the subject, but she wouldn't let it go. "You didn't answer my question, Detective," she said, her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Well, if you must know, this isn't like you. You don't get drunk and especially not by yourself. So, Ms. Spencer, are you going to tell me what is going on?" he asked. The sarcasm in his voice matched with hers.

"I don't need you telling me what to do. I'm sick of it. You're 'buddies' have been watching my every move since I got here. Why did you bring me here, anyway? You just couldn't stand the thought of me being on my own. You never could, could you?"

"Lulu, what on earth are you talking about? You know that I am worried sick about you. In case you haven't noticed, there is some madman out there trying to kill you."

"Oh, believe me, I've noticed. How could I not notice? With all of the messages I keep getting from this creep. How could I not know that I'm in trouble? I'm constantly reminded of it." Her eyes were hot with tears. She fought to choke them back.

Dante's demeanor softened a bit. "Lulu, is that what this is about? Did he contact you while I was gone?"

Lulu hated fighting with Dante. She wanted so badly to tell him everything, how her stalker called her again and how scared she was. She remembered the threat he made against Dante, how he would cause him harm if she continued to see him. "No! Leave me alone, Dante. Just mind your own business." She pushed past him, stumbled up the stairs to her room, and slammed the door. She flung herself on the bed and sobbed quietly into her pillow so that he couldn't hear.

Dante sat on the couch, lost and confused by the scene that just played out. He spotted her cell phone and looked through the call history. Nothing. He called the phone company. "Hello. This is Sonny Corinthos. Could you send me a phone record on all of today's inbound calls to this number? I was called away on an emergency. My answering machine hasn't been working and I was concerned that I might have missed an important call. No ma'am, no caller id either. I guess I need to get with the 21st century, huh?" Dante hated being so deceptive, but he needed to know why Lulu acted so strange. "Okay. Thank you. Yes, you can fax it. The number is…"

Ten minutes later, he had the phone records. There were a few calls that morning, mostly from Sonny's contacts in South America. He scanned the page further. There was one, made at 5:30. It was an unidentified number. His heart jumped to his throat as the realization sank in. He wanted to confront Lulu, but he knew he would get nowhere. He didn't understand why she wouldn't have told him about this latest call.

"Yeah. This is Det. Falconeri. Could I speak with Mac? Thanks."

"Commissioner Scorpio."

"It's Det. Falconeri. Listen, I have reason to believe that Lulu has been contacted again. This time on the landline at Sonny's. I came home to find her acting really strange. We argued and she ran upstairs. I suspected something was up, so I looked through her cell phone. There were no calls on it, so I decided to contact the phone company regarding the landline. They just sent me an inbound call log. There is one call on it at 5:30. The number shows up as unavailable, though. This guy is good, I'll give him that."

"How were you able to get the… Never mind. I don't want to know. Can you send me the log?"

"Yeah. I'll fax it to you right now."

"We'll get our best guys on it. In the meantime, do you think you can get Lulu to talk?"

"I don't know. She's not happy with me right now. She was pretty intoxicated. When I called her on it, she let me have it. I'm not sure she'll talk to me."

"I'd send Lucky, but I don't want her to be suspicious."

"Yeah. I think we'd better let it ride for now."

"I'll let you know what I find out about this call."

"In the meantime, I'll look around the grounds and ask the guards if they saw anything."

"Just remember to keep me in the loop. Okay?"

"No problem."

Dante went outside to talk with Milo. "I've been here all day. I didn't see anything strange. How could he have slipped by me so easily?"

"Don't beat yourself up. He's cunning. He did the same thing to me the other day. I had no idea that he watched us at the lake. Just keep your eyes open. If you see anything weird, let me know."

Dante went down the driveway to talk with the undercover officer. "Hey, Officer Franco. I didn't know that you had duty today."

"Yeah. The other officer called in sick, so I took his place. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I have reason to believe that Lulu was contacted again. Did you see anything strange this afternoon?"

"No. Can't say that I did. Let's see, I was right here around 5:30. No one was around."

"Okay. Thanks." As Dante walked back to the house, he thought about Franco's odd comment. He never mentioned a specific time to him. _How did he know that?_

A couple of hours later, Lulu descended the stairs. "You're still here?"

"Um, yeah. Don't you remember? I'm staying here while Dad is away."

"Oh. Well, I knew that," she said, defensively. The alcohol hadn't completely left her system yet. She tried to maintain her balance as she deliberately placed one foot in front of the other. She almost fell and Dante tried to catch her. She pushed him away. "Well, I just came down to get a drink of water. If that's okay with you?"

"Lulu, I was hoping-" He grabbed her wrist without thinking.

"Hoping what? That we would talk? Oh, wait, that you could interrogate me some more, Detective?"

"It's not like that and you know it, Lesley Lu."

"I'm getting my water and going to bed." She looked at him sharply. "Don't follow me."

Olivia came home to find Dante in one of the leather wing backs. He stared off into the empty fireplace and tried to make sense of everything. Their argument played over and over in his mind, like a bad movie. "Hey, honey. Are you all right?"

He looked up and rubbed his forehead. "Oh. Yeah. Well, no. Lulu and I got into this huge fight. She's still pretty angry with me."

"I've never known you two to get into any fights. What was it about?"

He explained to her about how he found her drunk and his suspicions about the phone call.

"Oh my gosh, not again. Should I go talk to her?"

"No. I don't think that would be a good idea. I don't want her to know that I told you about this."

"Point taken. If there's anything I can do, let me know." She got up and put her hand on his shoulder. "Give her some time. She'll come around. Good night, son."

"Good night, ma."

Dante awoke to the sounds of loud crying, then a scream. He shot straight out of bed and met Olivia in the hallway. They both found Lulu tossing and turning, tortured by another nightmare. Dante rushed to her side. She woke up and put her arms around his neck, only to be jolted by the realization that it was him. She quickly pulled away. "Get out," she yelled. Dante felt a knot form in the pit of his stomach.

Olivia intervened. "Honey. Why don't you just go back to bed? I'll take care of this." He gave her a wounded look. "She'll be okay. Go on."

Dante walked back to his room with reluctance in his steps. He never believed that it would ever come to this between them. Tears spilled over onto his cheeks as he climbed back in bed and pulled the covers over himself. He laid there, hurt by the sudden turn of events.

The next morning, he decided to leave early for Mass at a church across town. Olivia and Lulu would go to their regular church. He knew that Lulu wouldn't want to be near him and a part of him didn't want to confront her either. He knelt at the altar and prayed that God would fix whatever was broken inside of her.


	17. Chapter 17

Dante wasn't quite ready to go home yet, so he headed down to the station. He needed the distraction. Throwing himself into the investigation was one way to do it.

"Hey, Dante. Didn't expect to see you here today. Look, I was able to get a little more information off of that phone call. It seems that it was from a cell phone. The call originated from somewhere in the vicinity of the city. That's as close as we could get on a location. However, we were able to find out where the cell phone was purchased. A uniform is going to the store now to talk to the employees. We'll put a tracing device on Sonny's phone also."

"Thanks, Commissioner. I appreciate it." Dante hung his head, the disappointment in himself showing on his face . "I just wish I would have been there when that call came in."

"Listen, you and I both know that nothing would have changed, even if you were there. It happened once already anyway, right?"

"Yeah, but. You're right. I just want this to be over, for this creep to be locked up forever."

"We all do and it will be, soon. We're going to keep after this." Dante shook his head in agreement and walked over to his desk.

"Hey buddy, what brings you in today?" asked Ronnie.

"Well, Lulu is pretty upset with me at the moment, so I decided to lay low for a few hours. Ronnie, what do you know about Officer Franco? Didn't he work with you at NYPD?"

"You mean Bobby Franco? Well, he graduated from the academy about 3 years ago. He worked awhile for NYPD, but got tired of walking the beat in the big city. He moved here about six months ago. He's got an impressive record for the short time he's been a cop. Why do you ask?"

"Lulu got another call yesterday from the SOB who raped her. When I went outside to look around, Franco was on guard duty. He wasn't due there until tomorrow. He said that he took the place of the officer who was supposed to be there last night. Said he was sick or something. By the way, who was that officer? I want to talk to him."

Ronnie looked through the roster. "That would be Officer Minette. So far, everything sounds plausible. What makes you so suspicious of him?"

"When I asked if he had seen anything strange going on outside the house, he said that he had been there around 5:30 and saw nothing."

"Okay. And…"

"Ronnie, I didn't mention a specific time."

Ronnie's expression turned to shock. He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "Do you think that he might be in on this?"

"Yeah, I do. We need to check this guy out. I want to know everything, right down to what he had for supper last night."

"Whoa. What's this 'we' business? You're not doing anything with this. You let me handle it. The last thing we need is to raise any suspicion. If you start poking around, he's gonna figure it out. I can do it without any red flags going up."

"All right, but you let me know what you find out._"_

"Don't worry, I will."

"Hey guys, what's up?" asked Lucky. He turned to Dante. "Aren't you supposed to be off today?"

"Yeah. Well, change of plans. You're sister isn't real happy with me right now." Dante told him about everything that happened the night before.

"You know my sister. She'll come back around."

"Well, boys, I've got some work to do. I'll let you know what I find out," said Ronnie, as he nodded at Dante.

"Thanks, man. I owe you one."

"Yankees game. Seats behind home plate will work just fine." Dante smirked and waved as Ronnie walked away.

"What was that all about?" asked Lucky.

"I'll tell you later. Now, you said that the DNA samples taken from Lu... um, the scene didn't show up in any of the databases, right?"

"Yeah. Nothing at all. I'm telling you, this guy knows how to cover his tracks. The question is, how is he doing it?" Just then, Franco walked in. Dante's eyes followed him until he walked out of the room.

"Oh, I think I know. I just can't prove it yet." He told him about his encounter with Franco and that Ronnie was digging into his past.

"Man, if this is true, he'd better pray that the Commissioner gets to him first."

"Oh yeah, because if not, he'll be sorry he ever set foot in this town." Dante clinched his fists, the anger evident on his face.

Lucky decided he should change the subject. "So, do you want to tell me more about this phone call?"

"Well, the phone call from yesterday didn't turn up much. Mac said that all they could get were some coordinates on the origin of the call. It was made somewhere around Port Charles, which means it could have been near Greystone. Which means-"

"That he's still watching her. She's got to be scared out of her mind. That could explain the drinking."

"Maybe, but have you ever known her to just go get drunk like that? Not only that, she was really angry with me. You know, Ma made a good point last night. Lulu and I have never argued like that before. It was almost like she pushed me away for my own good."

"Do you think that there was some kind of a threat made?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Well, that's a place to start. You've got to use that to break down the infamous Spencer wall she puts up."

"No time like the present, right?" He grabbed his jacket and headed out the door. He just hoped that Lulu would still want to look at him, let alone talk.


	18. Chapter 18

He walked through the door of Greystone, only to find it empty. Over on the desk laid a handwritten note.

_Went out with Maxie and Johnny. _

_Don't worry, Milo went with me. _

_Be back in awhile. _

_Lulu. _

Satisfied that she was okay, he turned on the TV and waited for her to come home. A couple of hours later, Lulu walked through the door. It was late and Dante was asleep on the couch. As she watched him, silent tears rolled down her face. She wanted so much to let him know of the pain that burned in her heart, to tell him how sorry she was. The threats against his life surfaced to her mind, once again. She rushed up the stairs before he knew of her presence.

Early the next morning, Dante thought he would try to talk to Lulu. He opened her door a crack. She was still sleeping soundly. Not wanting to wake her, he quietly closed the door and exited the house.

Dante ran into Milo on his way out. "Hey Milo. Late night?"

"Yeah. We all went to Jake's last night. Probably shouldn't have had that last shot of tequila."

"How did Lulu seem to you? Was she okay?"

"Well, I don't know. I have to say, I've never seen her drink quite so much before. I knew that she would have one occasionally, but she was puttin' them away last night."

"How many did she have?" A mixture of irritation and concern churned inside of him.

"Oh maybe 3 or 4 shots of whiskey. I think she had a beer or two also."

"This is the second time in two days that she has done this." He ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck, in frustration.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea. I wouldn't have let her, if I'd known. I thought she just wanted to blow off some steam." Milo looked very concerned.

"It's okay. You didn't know."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Yeah, there is. Just keep an eye on her until I get back."

"Sure thing. Hey Dante, there's something else. She said something last night that didn't make any sense. It might have only been because she was a little out of it. She warned me to never go to the Metro Court because James might be there."

Dante looked at him curiously. "What? James? Who on earth is James and why would he be at the Metro Court?"

"I thought it was odd too. I just blew it off as part of the drunken stupor she was in."

"That may be all it was. We can't take any chances. Keep your eyes open. If you see anything strange or if she says anything else to you like that, call me immediately."

Dante mulled over this new information. Maybe it was the clue he needed to finally crack not only the case, but Lulu's tough exterior. He climbed in his car and called to tell Lucky what he had just found out.

"Hey Lucky. Milo just told me something really weird. Do you have any idea who somebody by the name of James is?"

"No. Why?"

"He said that Lulu mentioned something about not going to the Metro Court because James might be there."

"What on earth does that mean?"

"I don't know." Suddenly it hit him. "The Metro Court, Lucky, she is talking about the hostage crisis last year. James. Remember the guy who held the gun on her? James, James…"

"James Craig. "I'll run some things through Interpol and FBI. We'll see if anything has come up since last year. Hopefully, he slipped up. How much longer till you get here?"

"About another 15 minutes."

"See you then."

"Yeah." As soon as Dante hung up, his phone rang.

"Son, it's me."

"Hey Dad. I wasn't expecting you to call so soon."

"Yeah, I know. The Santiago family made some quick work of things. We've covered a lot of ground."

"Did you come up with anything?"

"Um, we did. Son, where is Lulu? Are you with her?"

"No. Not right now. Why?"

"It's probably just as well."

"What's just as well? What's going on?"

"I don't quite know how to say this."

"Say what?" Dante felt a twinge of panic set in. He didn't like this conversation and was sure he wouldn't like where it was headed.

"Son, Luke is dead," Sonny whispered, trying to stifle the sadness in his voice.

"WHAT? He's dead? When? How?"

"I can't go into all of the details right now, but by the time I got to him, it was too late. Someone had shot him. Oh man, if only I had made it there in time."

"Don't blame yourself. There was no way that you could have known." He paused for a moment, holding back the tears. He took a slow breath. "Do you know who shot him?"

"No. Not yet. Juan and I are looking into it right now. The local government isn't exactly cooperative here. Son, I'm afraid that you'll have to be the one to tell Lucky and Lulu."

"Um, I know. I just don't know how. Lulu is so fragile right now as it is. This will devastate her."

"I would do it, but I don't want to do it over the phone. They need to know as soon as possible. Do you want me to call your mom and ask her to help you?" Silence permeated the air. "Dante?"

"Yeah." He could barely choke out the word through his tears.

"Are you all right? I know how much you liked Luke."

"I'm fine. Just in shock. Granted, Luke and I didn't always agree on everything, but I knew he loved his kids. He wouldn't have wanted this for them."

"No, he wouldn't have. I'm going to talk with the Consulate in about 20 minutes. I'm trying to get everything arranged to bring Luke back to the States as soon as possible."

"Okay. I'm going back home right now to tell Lulu. Maybe Ma can help me out with Lucky?"

"Sure. You want me to call her?"

"That would be good. I'd appreciate it very much."

"Okay. I'll talk to you later. Son, I love you very much."

"I love you too, Dad."


	19. Chapter 19

**Sorry it took me so long to update. I had a terrible time with this chapter. My toughest one yet. Anyway, hope you like it. Please R&R. Thanks!

* * *

**

It was 9:00 am. Lulu decided to get some work done after breakfast. She opened the laptop and started checking her emails. Five from Kate and one from Maxie. _Only one, Maxie? You're slipping. Okay, where to start? I guess I'll go with Maxie._

_My darling Lulu,_

_The day when we will be together is coming soon. My plan is moving along quite nicely. You have told the Detective to back off. That's very good. I'm not thoroughly convinced that he will, however. At some point, he will need some further encouragement. After all, I can't allow anyone to interfere in my plans for us. I have already eliminated one threat. You know, fathers can be so overprotective sometimes. Don't worry, he didn't suffer. He went quickly. There are more who stand in the way of our happiness, five to be exact. Those who claim to love you. They, too, will eventually meet the same fate. The grand finale being the Detective that you have grown so fond of. Once he is out of the way, you'll see that you really didn't need him after all. __No one will take you away from me. __If you ever wonder where I am, all you have to do is look around you and I am there.  
_

_Until next time, _

_James_

Lulu cleared the perfume bottles from the top of her dresser with a sweep of her arm. Glass shattered into tiny shards on the floor as the liquid spilled out. She breathed hard, tears streaming down her face. She knew that Dante always kept his backup pistol in his bedroom. With a couple of turns and clicks, the safe was open. She looked down at the 9mm, now in her hands. Tears streamed down her face and fell on the cold, steel handle as the scenario of what happened to her father played over and over again in her mind. Did he suffer? Was he thinking about her and Lucky in his final moments? Did he even get that opportunity or did it really end quickly? Was this guy even telling the truth? Her mind reeled.

Dante walked into the house. Everything was eerie and still. "Lulu?" It was well past 10:00 am. She had to be awake by now. "Lulu?" He raced upstairs. "Lulu!" Nothing but silence. He opened her bedroom door. It was empty, except for the broken glass all over the floor. Panic swept through him. He looked across the hall to his room. The door was ajar. He carefully pushed it open and found her on his bed with her back to him. He noticed the safe was open, it's contents missing.

"Lulu?" He walked carefully toward her. "What are you doing in here?"

She didn't answer, instead she kept her gaze fixed on the gun. Dante moved a little closer to see if his worst fear was confirmed.

"Lu? Would you please answer me?"

"I got an email message today. I thought it was from Maxie, so I opened it. It wasn't. It was from that creep," she said in a sarcastic tone. "He said that my father was in the way of our happiness and that he was no longer a threat. He said that I shouldn't worry because he went quickly. He's lying, right? I mean there's no way that madman could have killed him, since Dad is thousands of miles away."

Even though Dante knew the truth, he wasn't ready to answer yet. Not until he got the gun away from her.

"Lulu, why don't you hand me the gun?"

As if he never spoke, Lulu continued. "You know, it's ironic, this thing can either save a life by protecting someone or end it by not. In some cases, it does both. Strange isn't it?"

Dante carefully inched his way closer to Lulu. "I guess I've always known that, but never really thought about it. Lulu, can you tell me which direction you're leaning?"

She shook her head and sobbed. "I don't know. He wouldn't have any reason to kill anyone else if I were no longer in the equation. It could be that simple. This whole nightmare would be over for everyone. Also, I would never have to face him, that is if he was ever caught and went to trial."

Dante's blood ran cold. He had been in these situations before, but not with someone he was so close to. He tried to stay calm, but felt an overwhelming urgency at the same time. He _had_ to get that gun. "Lulu, please give me the gun." He inched his way toward her and eased down beside her. He reached across, turned the safety back on and took it from her hands. He set the gun down and wrapped his protective arms around her as she cried into his chest. "It's okay. You're okay now." They sat together in silence for a few minutes. "You asked me if I thought he was lying. Lulu, Sonny called me about an hour ago. He found Luke. I wish I could say that your message wasn't true, but I can't."

"Oh my gosh, he's really gone. Somehow, I think I knew, but just didn't want to believe it. Did you know that when I was five years old, he bought me a bicycle? I loved that bike. It was pink, with white tassles at the end of the handles. He would push me around for hours. It was one of the best times we had together. He was with _me_, not on some adventure. Now, he's gone. I'll never see him again. My kids will never have their grandpa to push them around on a bike. He's dead, Dante. He's really dead." Her sobs were out of control. She dropped her head down and a wave of anger rose in her.

She forced her way out of his hold and shoved a finger in his face. "Why didn't you let me die? Dante, you just don't get it, this will never be over. He isn't giving up until everyone I love is gone. He's already told me that you and everyone else I'm close to will be out of the way. You're all a hindrance to his twisted plan. His sick, twisted plan."

Dante gently grabbed her hand and brushed wayward strands of hair off her face. "Lulu, I do get it. There is no way that this creep will get anywhere near you ever again. I'm not going to let him. I will protect you from this, but you have to let me. Please, just let me help you." He pulled her close to him and held her while she cried into his chest. "I never should have left you alone. I'm so sorry that I let you down. All of that is going to change."


	20. Chapter 20

They sat on his bed for awhile talking and crying over Luke. Dante's arms never left her. He meant what he said when he told her he wouldn't leave her alone again. He reinforced it in every way that he could, by his words and his touch.

"Lulu, I think you need to seek some professional help on this. Don't get me wrong, I meant what I said. I want to help you, but some of this is beyond my expertise. You really need to talk to someone. I'll even go with you, if you want."

"Lucky wanted me to go a long time ago. I don't want to bare my soul to some stranger. The whole idea just creeps me out."

"You scared the hell out of me today. I honestly thought that you were going to end it all." He took her face in his hands and forced her to look him in the eyes. "What happened today can't happen anymore, ever. Do you hear me? Never again. Lulu, you've got a lot to deal with, more than any one person should have to on their own. If you don't do something about this, I will."

"But, Dante, I-"

"No, Lulu. No more excuses. This is it. You've got to get help. Promise me you will."

"Dante-"

He looked at her with such intensity, she wanted to turn away. Something else kept her from it, she could see just how much she had scared him. In a strange way, it made her feel secure.

"Lulu, please."

She sighed heavily. "All right. I'll do it. But, if I get in there and don't like it, I'm gone."

"As long as you give it a chance, I can live with that."

Just then, they heard the front door slam. Dante felt a knot form in his stomach. He knew who it was and didn't want to face another cold, hard reality. Lulu and Dante walked down the stairs, arms around each other. As soon as she hit the last step, she raced toward Lucky and threw her arms around him.

"Would somebody please tell me what is going on? I got a call from Olivia saying that I need to get over here right away. She wouldn't say why. Lulu? Did something happen to you?"

"I think you had better sit down," Dante replied.

"No, I think I'll stand." Lucky felt a twinge of fear run through him, knowing that "sitting down" meant something bad.

"Lucky, please just sit down." Lulu took him by the arm and brought him over to the sofa. Soon after, Olivia came through the door, already prepared to give Lucky the bad news. As Olivia began to speak, Lulu held up her hand to silence her. She turned back to her brother and steadied her gaze. "Lucky, I'm afraid that I have some bad news. Um, this is really hard." Her voice quivered as she looked up at the ceiling to compose herself. "Sonny found Dad."

"That's great. What's so bad about… No, oh no. What do you mean 'found' him? Found him how?"

Tears streamed down her face. "Lucky, he was murdered."

He rose from the couch. "No! No way. That's not possible. Who? Why?"

"Lucky, he died because of me. I'm the reason." Dante moved over beside Lulu and slid his arm around her shoulders.

"What do you mean 'because of you'?"

"I got an email this morning. I thought it was from Maxie. It turned out to be from the guy who is stalking me. He told me that Dad was in the way and he took care of him. He said that we belong together and he wouldn't allow anyone to keep us apart. He won't stop until everyone I love is dead." Lulu began to sob and Dante pulled her head into his chest, holding her there. Lucky sat back down beside her and turned her face toward him.

"Lulu, none of this is your fault. Do you hear me? Don't worry, we are going to catch this guy before he hurts anyone else."

"Lucky, how can I not worry? The whole thing makes me sick." A slow fury built inside of her. "This is all my fault. If it weren't for me, none of this would have happened. I might not be able to bring Dad back, but I can keep someone else from dying."

Lucky watched her as she walked toward the door. "Lulu, where are you going?" he asked. Dante was already halfway across the room, going after her. Lucky, still in a state of shock, was close behind.

Lulu managed to get out the front door before they could catch up to her. She looked around into the bright daylight, searching for her stalker. Fear was not something that was on her mind. All she could think about was what this creep had cost her and her family. Knowing that he had to be out there somewhere, still watching, she screamed, "Come out, you coward. You had to sink so low as to kill an innocent man in order to continue your messed up plan for us. Well, if you want me so bad, then just come and get me. Right here, right now."

Dante finally caught up to her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and whirled her around to face him. "Lulu, what in the world are you doing? Are you kidding me?"

Lulu raised her hand to hit him. Dante caught her wrist in his hand, keeping her from making contact. With her other hand, she pointed a finger in his face. "Dante, let me go. I want him to find me. Don't you see, this is the only way. He gets what he wants, me. I get what I want, everyone I love to still be alive."

Dante grabbed her other wrist and looked straight into her eyes. "Lulu, I already told you this once, there is no way in the world that I am letting this creep get near you ever again. You have got to trust me. Now, get back inside the house before I arrest you for disturbing the peace." Lulu stood there, looking at him, in shock. Dante knew he probably shouldn't have been so forceful, but he wasn't about to let the situation get the best of her yet again. She could see just how serious he was and it scared her a little. She walked back into the house without another word.


	21. Chapter 21

Lulu shifted in her seat, trying to control the tears that threatened to flow down her face. Her cheeks already stung from the round she had cried a few minutes before. She closed her eyes, trying to dam the waterfall, and felt someone sit down beside her. Dante put a reassuring arm around her and pulled her in close to his side. Lulu instantly melted under his warmth and felt a peace emerge.

A priest approached Dante, Lulu, and Lucky. "Are you ready to begin?"

"Yes, Father, we are," Lucky answered.

"On behalf of the family of Luke Spencer, I would like to thank everyone of you for attending this celebration of life service today. His children would like to say a few words. Lucky." The priest nodded in his direction and Lucky made his way to the front of the church.

"You know, my dad and I were pretty close when I was younger. We would go off on some great adventures. He taught me everything he knew about finding the perfect mark and how to finesse them before they ever knew what hit them. I know that's probably not the fond memory you would expect to hear from a cop, but it was what we bonded over when I was young. As time went on and I got older, I knew that I wanted something different for my life. That's when I decided to become an officer. My father was none too pleased with my career choice, but he still supported me anyway. It was what I wanted to do and Luke Spencer was always all about blazing your own trail. So, with time, he accepted my decision and moved on to his next mark without me. Since then, we still laughed and cried together. He watched my kids grow and was a wonderful grandfather to them. Those are the memories that I want to keep of the great Luke Spencer." Lucky looked down at the casket, tears brimmed his eyes. "Thanks Dad, for all that you have taught me. I wouldn't be who I am today without you." With that, Lucky took his seat beside Lulu.

"Now, we will hear from his daughter, Lesley Lu." She sat, frozen for a moment. _I can't do this. This isn't happening. _The room suddenly became dark and the air was heavy. She saw every stare, heard every whisper. She looked for the nearest exit, ready to bolt, but instead felt Dante urge her to go up front. Slowly, she rose from her seat and made her way up front.

She stood there silently for a few seconds, tears streamed down her face. She looked over at Dante. He gave her a nod which gave her the strength to begin. "As all of you know, my dad never stayed in Port Charles for long periods of time. He loved to travel and see the world. As a child, I didn't always get why he never stayed around. I wanted my daddy. Now that I'm older, I understand a little better. I suppose I have some of that restlessness in me. You know, we never said goodbye to each other when he left. Lots of times, I didn't even know that he was gone until a few days later. I just wish that I could've seen him and told him how much he meant to me. I'm so sorry, Dad." Her sobs were uncontrollable. After a short pause, she continued. "I know that he wouldn't want me or any of us to be sad for him. He lived a good life, the way he wanted to live it. We'll always miss him, but will carry his legacy in our hearts forever."

Lulu looked up toward the back of the church in time to see a figure. It quickly disappeared, but not before she got a good glimpse. She recognized something about the person. She froze in fear. Dante saw the panicked look on her face, how pale she became. His eyes followed her gaze to the back of the church, but saw nothing. Still panic stricken, she looked over at Dante, who quickly made his way to her side.


	22. Chapter 22

Hey everyone! I know it has been awhile. Had some writers block. Hoping that doesn't return. This one is super short, all I had time for. Will try to update as soon as I can. As always, hope you like it!

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She raced through the house, pushing past all of the mourners who wanted to show their respect to Luke's family. Dante followed close behind her, going up the stairs, nearly catching her hand and missing. "Lulu." he called out. No response. "Lulu!"

"What?" she replied, not looking back.

"Where are you going?"

She had already made her way into her room and pulled out her suitcase. She worked furiously, pulling clothes out of drawers and her closet and tossing them into her suitcase. She stopped only for a second to look Dante straight in the eyes with an intensity that almost made him look away. He knew. She didn't have to say a word. She was running again. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. The question was, would she let him run with her this time? He already knew there was no point in talking her into staying here and facing whatever haunted her this time. So, retreat it was, only there was no way in the world he was letting her go alone. "Lulu! Where are you going?"

"Why do you care?"

"Well, I need to know if I need my passport."

She looked at him, confused. "What are you talking about? Oh no, you're not going anywhere with me. I've already caused enough trouble with this guy making threats toward you. I'm not letting you put yourself in anymore danger."

Dante stepped in a little closer to let her see the anger that was rising to the surface. Her stubborn streak was all that he could take these days and he had had enough. "Oh, sweetheart, if you're running away somewhere, I'm going with you. You aren't going anywhere alone, not while this nutcase is still out there. No way!"

"Dante, please."

"No! No more excuses. Either you trust me and let me go with you or you stay here. Doesn't matter to me, but I promised you that I would protect you and I am!"

The determination in his eyes and the defeat in hers said it all. She knew that this fight was over. Dante won. Day by day, her resolve was fading where Dante was concerned. She found it harder and harder to fight him. He was determined to take care of her, she'd give him that. A part of her admitted that she loved it, which made it so easy to give in. Would he ever find out? Not as far as she was concerned, at least not now.


End file.
